


Under the Veil of Night

by Eve6262



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Confession in broad daylight, Confessions, First Kiss, M/M, Pining, oblivious cyrus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 00:11:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18435005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eve6262/pseuds/Eve6262
Summary: But the veil of night would not be so kind that night, as it led Cyrus right to him.





	Under the Veil of Night

**Author's Note:**

> I had like three different plans for this fic when I started writing it, and in the middle of writing it, and I lost all of them and somehow this was the end product.

The night was normally both his veil and his blanket. A veil behind which he hid his lies and secrets; a blanket that comforted him with the knowledge it would protect him. Tonight, however, the night sky felt like it was piercing into his soul, every star a spearhead jabbing into his heart. The moon looked on in indifference as he sat on a small rock not far from Bolderfall, knees to his chest, eyes closed in avoidance of the stares of the stars.

The cries of the birds on his ears were not unnoticed. Nor were the skittering of creatures barely hatching from their shells, or perhaps existing only within their shells. But he nonetheless ignored them, knowing a few quick slashes with their weapon of choice and the world would leave him alone once more. Secretly, he hoped they would have seen the party’s arrival and fear him; instead, one of the birdfolk reached out to slash at him. 

Annoyed, he reached for his dagger. A single slash would probably kill this one- a brave little youngling, trying to prove itself by taking out the party while it was weak and separated, but severely underestimating who it was messing with. Before he could even slip it from its sheath, however, fire blossomed from the ground in a plume of flames, engulfing the bird and leaving nothing behind but the memory of what once was.

The sound of the caster was faint compared to the roaring flames just a moment ago, but Therion nonetheless heard it. He turned to face the scholar.

“Might I ask what you are doing out here so late at night?”

Always the formal man, Therion supposed, sitting back down on his rock, this time in a much more languid pose in some thinly veiled attempt to seem casual, disinterested. The night refused his cover, though, the moon shining directly on his pale arm and its tense muscle.

“Because you’re not just as suspicious.”

Cyrus seemed to laugh at that one, but became quiet very quickly, his advance across the bridge slowing as he halted in thought. For a moment, Therion considered slipping away while he was thinking and pretending nothing ever happened. Then Cyrus began to speak.

“Were you bothered by my actions today?”

Had he really not realized? Not for a moment?

“Bothered? Sure, that’s one way to put it.”

Cyrus looked utterly shocked, cheeks turning red and starting to sputter out an apology. Therion, when hearing the story of how the oblivious professor was kicked out of the academy because of a pining student, had simply assumed the girl was a bit quiet and Cyrus too unassuming, or something similar. Now, though, he sympathized with Therese just a bit more.

“Hey.”

Cyrus stopped in his tracks.

“That’s not what I meant.”

The scholar looked on in confusion, eyes searching the languid form in front of him for an answer. Therion laughed and rolled his eyes, hand going up to his head. Poor Therese.

“Then, what…”

Therion sighed. He wasn’t going to just push himself on the professor, he supposed- no, that would both be too quick and would definitely kill any entertainment he was getting out of this at the moment. Watching Cyrus stammer and blush was both endearing and hilarious.

“Professor, do you remember your description earlier?”

A simple question, really but one that stemmed from his earlier comment.

 

_“Professor, have you ever been in love?”_ _He was teasing the man, obviously- Primrose was down about being unable to steal from people in broad daylight like Therion, even after her training as a thief, and he decided she needed a little pick-me-up._

__ _ “Cyrus is just fine. And I suppose n-wait, no, I suppose that counts?” Gold mine. _

__ _ “Explain.” _

__ _ “Well, I’ve never been in a relationship, if that’s what you’re asking. I have, however, fell in love with someone. To this day I do not know if they reciprocate, and I haven’t a clue whether I should ask or not.” He could see Primrose start to giggle behind them at the prospect of gossiping about Cyrus’s love life. _

__ _ “Oooh, describe them.” _

__ _ “Hm...Some good descriptors. I suppose I’ll leave out the obvious ones- say, stunning- that’s quite obvious, isn’t it?” Another giggle. “Mysterious. Sarcastic. But so distant. Like a mystery that’s just outside of my grasp, and once I can solve it I’ll be the happiest man alive. Ah, there’s one more…” If hyenas could giggle, Primrose would be one in that moment. “Fractured. Like they’ve been broken into a thousand pieces by everything around them, but they won’t let anyone near. I just want to pick up those pieces and put them back together, and hopefully they’ll see themselves for the beautiful sculpture that they are.” _

__ _ Primrose looked at shock in Therion, who had already turned to look at her. Both shared a distinct look, and Therion immediately make the excuse “Hey look, a noble! Don’t see one with such loose pockets around here.” and ran off. _

 

“Of the little history I know of Bolderfall?”

“No, of your little crush.”

“Oh.” Cyrus’s cheeks reddened. “Yes, what about it?”

“Out of curiosity, is that someone in our party?”

Cyrus looked shocked, his cheeks still flushed. “Why, yes, how did you guess?”

This had been entertaining, but now it was just tense. Therion hoped he would pick it up on this question. “Why did you come here?”

Cyrus was about to answer, but Therion continued. “And don’t say you were worried about me. We both know that’s not true.”

For a moment, Cyrus grew silent, as though contemplating what to say. Finally, he spoke, the decision in his voice firm and braver than Therion had heard before, and for a moment he wondered why he hadn’t just outright confronted Cyrus in public so he could get to this sooner. “I wanted to see you. What you looked like when you thought no one was watching.”

“And?”

“I do believe my little crush has gotten ten times worse.”

Therion rolled his eyes. “Nerd.”

And he finally pulled Cyrus in for a kiss, their passion finally colliding into sparks that lasted both an eternity and not long enough, until finally they both pulled away, gasping for air. 

“Come on. I’m tired. Let’s go back to the inn and sleep.”

And as the two walked away in companionable silence, Therion looked up at the stars and moon once more. The night was no heartless monster to uncover him on that night, he decided, nor were the stars mindless warriors to pierce him, but he instead felt the appreciation of the dark for its inhabitants, even if its actions were not always clear from the start. 

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly it didn't turn out so bad but it's amazing how many different directions this could have gone.
> 
> Also I might make a oneshot book for this ship? Because I have a lot of ideas and only maybe one of them is crack (kinda I'm totally gonna write it like it's serious)


End file.
